Finch leads Australia to first-up victory

Captain Aaron Finch crafted a breakthrough century to trump Haris Sohail's maiden ton, leading Australia to a clinical eight-wicket victory in the opening one-dayer against Pakistan.

After Finch posted his 12th ODI century, and first in any format since last July, Shaun Marsh (91 not out off 102) and Peter Handscomb (30 not out off 27) steered the visitors home with an over to spare.

It was Australia's fifth-highest ODI run chase in Asia.

Sohail played a textbook anchor role in his maiden century, but what appeared to be an imposing target of 281 on a sluggish Sharjah pitch was reeled in with a minimum of fuss off the back of Finch and Marsh's superb 172-run second-wicket stand.

Finch dispelled any doubts over his place at the top of the order, returning to his fearsome best form as he coupled powerful driving down the ground with assured back-foot play.

The 32-year-old brought up triple-digits by smashing his counterpart Shoaib Malik out of the stadium. He was finally dismissed for 116 off 135 balls with victory in sight.

Dropped for the recent ODI series decider in India, Marsh made the most of his recall and sent a timely reminder to selectors of his skills ahead of the pending returns of Steve Smith and David Warner.

Nathan Coulter-Nile (2-61 off 10), back in action after missing the end of the recent series win in India, was the tourists' most threatening bowler as Pat Cummins was rested for the series opener.

Sohail sent just seven of the 115 balls he faced to or over the rope, as his more aggressive partners took up the attack to lead Pakistan to 5-280, but his side was left to rue three dropped catches in a sub-par fielding effort.

Pakistan's stand-in skipper Malik earlier won the toss and batted, naming debutants Shan Masood and Mohammad Abbas in a side shorn of six first-choice players.

Prodigious young quick Jhye Richardson (1-64) had an expensive afternoon and a trio of boundaries struck off him by Masood off one Power Play over confirmed the track was as lifeless as the Aussies had anticipated.

Finch's early introduction of spin from both ends immediately paid off as Imam-ul-Haq bunted back a simple caught-and-bowled to the frugal Nathan Lyon (1-38 off 10).

Coulter-Nile returned with gusto after his opening spell to knock over Masood, who chopped on for 40, as the steady Sohail and the volatile Umar Akmal (48 off 50 balls) put on 98 for the third wicket.

Recalled on the back of an impressive Pakistan Super League campaign, Akmal twice tempted sweeper Peter Handscomb in the space of seven balls, the Aussies boundary rider spilling a tough catch after a sprawling dive, then doing well to get a fingertip on a six at deep square leg.

The upshot was more punishment for Richardson, with Akmal taking him for three sixes in four balls to energise the growing crowd filtering in following Friday prayers.

Akmal and Malik departed in successive overs, but after the Australians momentarily applied the brakes, Pakistan accelerated once again thanks to late cameos from Faheem Ashraf (29 off 27) and then Imad Wasim (28 off 13).

Sohail reached his breakthrough century in the final over, six months after his maiden Test hundred also came against Australia, as he and Imad clattered 56 off the final five overs of the innings.

In contrast to Pakistan's watchful start, Finch and opening partner Usman Khawaja (24) breezed out of the blocks before the latter was caught at mid-on miscuing a pull shot.

Bringing up his first ODI fifty against Pakistan up off 63 balls, Finch picked his spots to attack in his subsequent union with the initially more watchful Marsh, as the pair kept the required rate at about six per over.

The only semblance of an opportunity Finch offered before reaching his ton came on 83 when he drilled a caught-and-bowled chance back to Yasir Shah, who barely had time to react before being struck in the sternum.

While Marsh signaled his growing confidence by blazing a six over mid-wicket and out of the ground, Finch spent 17 balls in the nervous 90s before following his partner's lead to seal the milestone.

Imad put down Finch on 114 at long off and the Australian captain was furious with himself when he edged behind nemesis Mohammad Abbas with 45 runs still required at a run-a-ball.

The skipper need not have worried, as Marsh and Handscomb calmly knocked off the remaining runs and staved off what could have been a tense finish to put Australia 1-0 up in the series, which continues at the same venue on Sunday.

Pakistan XI: Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik (c), Faheem Ashram, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Abbas.

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Shaun Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa.

Qantas Tour of the UAE

First ODI: Australia won by eight wickets

Second ODI: v Pakistan, March 24 in Sharjah

Third ODI: v Pakistan, March 27 in Abu Dhabi

Fourth ODI: v Pakistan, March 29 in Dubai

Fifth ODI: v Pakistan, March 31 in Dubai

(all matches begin at 10pm AEDT)